This invention relates generally to underwater pool lights and, more particularly, to flush mounted pool lights. Such lights are used in swimming pools, wading pools, fountains and spas.
Underwater pool lights generally require a niche in a wall of the pool for installation of the light. This requires extra excavation and concrete reinforcing or "rebar" work, as well as extra gunite to install the light in a gunite pool. Most underwater lights are, therefore, bulky and expensive to install. In vinyl liner pools additional reinforcing is usually required, and large holes, nine to twelve inches wide, are needed to install wet niche lights. This type of installation also increases the chance of leaks in vinyl liner pools. Many available lights simply cannot be used in vinyl liner pools.
Some underwater lights must be removed and completely disassembled just to replace a bulb, adding to their inconvenience and requiring experienced personnel for maintenance. Other lights have no heat sensing device to detect overheating, therefore reducing bulb life and increasing maintenance costs.
Some underwater lights use clear covers or lenses and provide no directional control over the light output. These lights have a tendency to illuminate not just the pool but also the surrounding area. The resulting glare is both an inconvenience and a safety hazard. Fountain lights also need to be appropriately directed to avoid unwanted glare. Another requirement for underwater lights is an effective reflector to direct light out into the pool.
It will be appreciated from the foregoing that there has long been a need for improvement in the field of underwater pool lights. In particular, there has been a need for an underwater pool light that is flush mounted, can be used in either a gunite or vinyl liner pool, provides for ease of maintenance and safety, and directs the light in a specified direction. The present invention satisfies this need.